Before the Islands
by WolfieRed23
Summary: Kairi is a shy 3 year old living with her grandma and has no friends because of her shy nature. When her grandma has to return to working, she hires two sets of babysitters for Kairi. Soon enough, Kairi makes two best friends, Yuffie and Ienzo, and has another entire group of friends. This is Kairi before she knew of the islands or Sora and Riku. Prequel to All the Pieces.
1. Chapter 1:The First Set

**Okay so before I start, I just want to let you all know that this story is a prequel to my other Kingdom Hearts story 'All the Pieces' so if this interests you, go read that and leave a review for both. (I can't believe I just begged for reviews like that...I'm desperate for reviews on that story so please!)**

**Kairi: Don't worry Wolfie! Everything will be fine!**

**Me: (smiles) Thanks Kairi. Anyways, on with the show!**

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><p>3 year old Kairi woke up very early that morning. The sun was in her eyes yet she did not blink but smiled. She welcomed light and loved feeling the sun's heat. Excitedly, she jumped out of bed and threw on her white apron-like shirt with blue flowers and a blue line across the chest, a pink skirt with a white line on it and large white shoes with pink and purple lines on them. She ran a brush quickly through her hair (to show her Grandma she didn't need her help) and fingered the necklace she always wore. It was absent of everything except a simple silver bead. Her grandma gave it to her for her 2nd birthday and she never took it off. Suddenly remembering what was waiting for her downstairs, Kairi ran out of the bathroom, down the stairs and into the living room where her puzzle laid just as she left it the night before. The red haired girl grinned and sat down to try and finish the puzzle. Her grandmother came down a half hour later, when Kairi finished her puzzle. She stood behind her grandaughter and smiled,<p>

"That's a beautiful puzzle, Kairi!" The 3 year old turned and stood up, hugging her grandmother and crying,

"Grandma!" The old woman laughed lightly and returned the hug when her eye caught the time. She pulled out of Kairi's embrace and gently said,

"Kairi, grandma's gonna have to leave you today." Kairi's eyes widened.

"What?!" She cried.

"It's only during the day." Her grandmother reassured, "I promise I'll be back by dinner." Kairi frowned,

"S-so you're leaving me home alone?" The old woman shook her head.

"No dear, I'm having some very nice teenagers watch you." She explained, "They're already watching a girl close to your age so they agreed." Kairi shook her head. She was young and wasn't very confident around new people, as the only one she ever knew was her grandmother. She didn't want to meet new people. "You'll be fine." Grandma whispered gently when there was a knock on the door. Grandma smiled, "That's them now!" Kairi followed her to the door and it opened to reveal two teens and a girl a couple years older than Kairi. The oldest was a boy with unruly brown hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a white short sleeved shirt, a short black jacket, dark jeans with three belts wrapped around his waist, leather gloves and black boots. He also had a silver necklace with a Griever symbol, Kairi had seen a similar one in a store in town. The next oldest was a girl with light brown hair in a single braid with forest green eyes and a kind smile. She wore a blue and white summer dress with flowers on it, a red camisole underneath and white wedge sandals with pink straps. Her braid was held back by a pink ribbon. The last girl had short black hair and blue eyes with a hint of violet in them. She wore a green and yellow hoodie/vest underneath a white singlet and white shorts with a white headband tied around her forehead. Grandma smiled, "Squall, Aerith please come in." The two teens, Squall and Aerith respectively, led the girl into the house. Kairi stared at them silently. Grandma bent down to the girl's level and smiled, "You must be the girl Squall and Aerith told me about." The girl nodded and smiled,

"I'm Yuffie and I'm 5!" Kairi was slightly taken aback by the excitement in her voice. Her grandma smiled,

"Hello Yuffie. This is my grandaughter, Kairi." Aerith bent down to Kairi's level and smiled gently,

"So you're Kairi?" Kairi nodded. "Nice to meet you. I'm Aerith and these are my friends, Squall and Yuffie. We're gonna have a lot of fun today, okay?" Kairi nodded. Her grandmother laughed,

"She's a shy one so she might not talk for a bit." She then noticed the time. "Well I better go or Master Ansem will start to worry." Despite her relyfulness and her nobility, Kairi's grandmother was often worried about because of her age. She bent down, kissed Kairi on the cheek and left, calling, "I'll be back tonight!"

"Bye bye." Kairi whispered so quietly, none of the older kids heard her. Aerith appeared to be 11, Squall looked 14 and Yuffie was obviously 5. Despite the fact that they were somewhat close in age with her, Kairi still felt awkward and weird around them. Aerith stood up and asked,

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Kairi shook her head. Aerith smiled, "That's not a problem. I'll make some good pancakes."

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><p>Kairi had to admit Aerith was right. The pancakes were good and she smiled once she finished to show the older girl what she thought. Aerith smiled right back at her.<p>

"So Kairi, what do you want to do?" Yuffie asked. Squall was the only one yet to speak. Kairi shrugged. "We could play hide and seek! No, no wait you might not like that. Ooh! Or we could play tag! But then we might get in trouble. OH, how about-" Yuffie continued to list off games and reasons they couldn't play them until she came up with nothing. Taking that as a sign, Kairi left the dining table and went to the couch that was against the window and stared out, wishing for her grandma. "Do you live with your grandma?" Yuffie suddenly asked her. Kairi turned around to see the 5 year old behind her. Kairi nodded. "What about your mommy and daddy?" Yuffie asked, "Are they always away because you're nobles?" Kairi had once been told by her grandmother that she was considered a 'noble' because her parents and her grandparents had helped out the rulers of Radiant Garden, her parents and grandma being the ones to help Ansem the Wise though now it was just her grandma in the library. Kairi shook her head to answer Yuffie's question. "Then where are they?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. Neither noticed Aerith and Squall watching them.

"Mommy died after I was born and Daddy got sick a while after her and they both went up." Kairi explained, as her grandmother had explained to her. Yuffie looked down.

"I'm sorry." She said. She was young and didn't know much but she knew when someone's parents died was hard. Kairi shrugged,

"It's okay. I don't really remember them so I can't really miss them." Yuffie's head snapped up.

"You talked!" She cried happily. Kairi gave her a small smile when she whirled around and asked the teens, "Can we take her to the others? Please, please, please!" The teens exchanged looks before Squall answered,

"Alright." Yuffie grinned,

"Yes!" She then turned back to Kairi and grabbed her wrist, pulling her along as she ran out of the house. "Come on, Kairi! This will be fun!" Kairi smiled. She had a feeling having Yuffie, Aerith and Squall in her life might be okay.

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><p><strong>Okay so this story is basically explaining what I think is Kairi's past and to show her connections I think she should have with some familiar faces in Radiant Garden. Also, I know Kairi's a little OOC but every little kid I know isn't outgoing like Kairi is in Birth by Sleep so I think she used to be shy like almost all little kids but became outgoing through some friends. This story will go to Kairi's arrival in Destiny Islands and will revolve around her growing up in the next couple years. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.<strong>

**Kairi: See you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2:Nicknames and Best Friends

**I'm back! I'm so excited to be continuing this, especially with the characters that are coming in this chapter. Thanks to Mythical-Iaf, Key of Destiny4ever, Ability King KK and sailorsenshi13 for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 25 readers. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! P.S. If you read the last chapter, I got Yuffie's age wrong and fixed it accordingly. She is 5 not 4.**

**Yuffie: Can you start already?!**

**Me: Okay, okay, I'm starting! Calm down. (whispers: Crazy ninja.)**

**Yuffie: I heard that!**

**Me: Sorry...anyways...enjoy!**

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><p>Kairi giggled as Yuffie led her through Radiant Garden when she noticed a group of three people ahead of them. Two were boys and one was a girl. The girl was the youngest, looking about 10, even from the distance. She had dark brown hair that hung halfway down her back and Kairi could make out the rust color of her eyes. She had a brown cowboy hat on and was dressed like one. She wore a white patterned, button-up corset, a leather skirt with pockets and tassels, a matching vest, a belt around her hips and dark brown cowboy boots. The second youngest boy was 11, similar to Aerith. He had spiky blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a blue shirt, blue pants, several belts and straps, a green-gray piece of cloth around the collar and brown boots. He held a thin sword in his hands and was facing the oldest boy. He looked to be 15, a year older then Squall. <strong>(He's in Birth by Sleep and his age is not mentioned on the wikia so I'm guessing he's 16 in that game, like I assume Ven to be.) <strong>He had spiky black hair with bangs framing the sides of his face and bright blue eyes. He wore a dark blue sleeveless shirt and matching pants, darker then the first boy's, shoulder pauldrons, leather gloves, black boots and a big sword in his hands.

"Ready?" The girl cried as the boys continued to circle each other, "Go!" The boys began to charge forward when Squall cried,

"Spike, Puppy, STOP!" Instantly, the two froze.

_Squall must be in charge most of the time. _Kairi thought as she looked at the older boy.

"Oh, come on, Squall!" The older boy whined as he slung the big sword across his shoulder, "Do you have to ruin the fun?!" Squall chuckled,

"When we have to introduce a 3 year old, yes." The older boy gave an exageratted sigh as the girl hopped down from the crate she was sitting on and walked over to Kairi. She bent down and smiled,

"Hi there, I'm Tifa. The spiky blonde is Cloud and the 'puppy' is Zack."

"I am not a puppy!" Zack cried.

"According to Angeal, you are." Cloud retorted. Zack then pouted like a little kid. Kairi giggled.

"Hard to believe they're best friends." Yuffie muttered. Kairi giggled again as Aerith stepped towards her and bent down to the redhead's level.

"And this, is Kairi." Aerith smiled.

"Kairi, hmm?" Zack smiled. Instantly, everyone shot up and cried,

"NO!" Kairi was confused.

"What's going on?" She asked. She was ignored as Yuffie cried,

"You are not giving Kairi one of your dumb nicknames!" Zack's eyes widened and he feigned being hurt.

"Dumb? How are my nicknames dumb?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Yuffie cried, "Like how you called me Yuff?"

"And Leo?" Squall added, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Why?" Kairi whispered to Aerith.

"Short for his last name, Leonhart." Aerith explained.

"What about Clo?" Cloud added.

"And Aer?" Aerith included, though she seemed to be trying really hard not to insult Zack.

"And worst of all, Teef!" Tifa cried.

"Aw, come on!" Zack cried, "That wasn't a bad one."

"I don't like being compared to TEETH!" Tifa cried. Zack shook his head,

"Alright, alright." He then grinned, "I got it, how about if I beat all of you, I get to give Kairi a nickname. If I lose once, I don't give her one." The older kids shared looks and Kairi swore she could _see _the silent conversation between them, before they answered in unison,

"Deal." Zack grinned,

"Worst one first!" Yuffie stepped forward, taking out throwing stars.

"She can fight?" Kairi asked Tifa. Tifa nodded and smiled down at the noble girl, saying,

"She's been able to fight with shurikens for a year now."

"Shuriken?" Kairi asked.

"The little throwing stars." Aerith explained. Kairi nodded and focused on the battle. Yuffie was throwing her shurikens at Zack who in turn, swatted them away with his big sword.

"What's Zack's sword called?" Kairi asked.

"The Buster Sword." Tifa explained.

"Zack got it from his old master Angeal when he died a few years ago." Aerith added. Kairi nodded and watched as Yuffie slid out of the way from Zack's attack and threw a shuriken at the older boy only for him to reflect it back at her. Lukily, the raven haired girl caught the weapon but was so distracted Zack was able to use the Buster Sword to trip her and pointed it at her chest.

"Beaten." He simply said. Yuffie sighed and accepted Zack's hand to stand. She walked over to Kairi, shaking her head.

"You okay?" Kairi asked. Yuffie nodded,

"It's just...I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie, I should've won." Aerith bent down to the girls' level and reassured,

"You still have to learn and plenty of time to learn, Yuffie. Don't worry." Yuffie smiled up at the light brunnette when Zack called,

"Next." Tifa stepped forward and raised her fists.

"What's she doing?" Kairi whispered.

"She's a martial artist and fights with her fists and feet." Yuffie explained as Tfa ran forward. Zack swung the Buster Sword to trip her only to have her bend backwards, avoiding the giant sword. Once the sword was away from her, Tifa stood up and punch Zack's cheek. Kairi winced. Yuffie saw it and took it as a hint to distract the younger girl. Everyone else was used to fighting but Kairi was new so she was unaware of how harmless it was with them. "Hey Kairi, do you want to learn to fight?" She asked. The redhead's eyes darted to her raven haired friend and Yuffie grinned when they widened and she saw excitement in her eyes.

"Really?" She asked, completely missing Tifa kick Zack in the stomach and Zack retaliate by slashing her stomach and getting a slight cut. Yuffie nodded,

"If you want, we can teach when you turn 4." Kairi grinned,

"I'd...I'd like to...to try." Yuffie looked up at Aerith, Squall and Cloud.

"Can we teach her?" She asked. The three shared looks and once again, Kairi would swear she could hear their silent conversation before Cloud answered,

"When she's four." Yuffie grinned,

"Yes!" Kairi grinned as well when they heard Zack say,

"Beaten." Kairi turned. Tifa was lying on the ground, cuts on her arms and one on her stomach while Zack stood above her, a few bruises on his arms. Tifa sighed and stood up and walked to Aerith. Aerith shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you, Tifa?" She asked. Tifa held out an arm to Aerith. Aerith placed a hand on Tifa's arm and Kairi's eyes widened as green magic flowed from her hand to Tifa's entire body. Every cut was closed and Tifa looked more energized.

"What was that?!" Kairi cried, speaking the loudest any of them had heard her speak.

"Aerith's an Ancient, a Cetra." Cloud explained, "She has a connection to the worlds and has strong magical abilities."

"Healing being one of them." Yuffie added. Kairi nodded when Zack called,

"Next." Aerith stepped forward and held out a hand. A grey staff appeared in her hand as she stood in front of Zack.

"Wow." Kairi whispered in awe. Tifa grinned,

"You haven't seen anything yet." Kairi watched as Aerith swung her staff, fire shooting out at Zack. Zack dodged the fire and ran at Aerith, locking the Buster Sword with her staff. Aerith smiled as wind shot out of her staff and blew Zack back. Zack landed stabley and dodged the ice sent at him. He began to dodge every spell sent at him until he was finally able to dislodge Aerith's staff and pointed the Buster Sword at her, saying,

"Beaten." Aerith sighed and walked over to her staff, picking it up and letting it vanish. She held out a hand to Zack, who took it instantly. Kairi noticed the way they looked at each other and shared a look with Yuffie, knowing they were thinking the same thing.

_They like each other. _Zack cleared his throat as he released Aerith's hand and said,

"Next." Squall stepped forward and held out a silver sword.

"What's that?" Kairi asked.

"A Gunblade." Aerith, Tifa, Cloud and Yuffie answered in unison. Kairi nodded and watched as Squall and Zack locked blades. The battle was fierce. Kairi could understand why Squall was second but she wondered at the same time why Cloud was last. She didn't voice it though, as she was too enthralled in the battle as Squall kept up with Zack long enough to keep the tide in his control until Zack managed to slip the Gunblade from Squall's grip to his own and pulled away from the slightly younger boy and pointed both blades at his chest, saying,

"Beaten." Squall sighed slightly, took his Gunblade back from Zack and walked past Cloud, pausing and saying,

"Beat him." before joing the rest of the group. Cloud nodded. None of them wanted Kairi to suffer a terrible nickname from Zack like they had for months until they beat Zack up to stop them. Cloud held out his sword as did Zack, who was grinning,

"Time to see what you got, Spike." Cloud smirked,

"Back at you, Puppy." Zack groaned at the nickname before charging at Cloud. The two locked blades before Cloud twisted out and kicked Zack in the back, knocking him forward slightly only for the older boy to kick him in the stomach. The two continued in a similar fashion, their battle lasting longer than any of the others. The two seemed evenly matched until Zack managed to strike Cloud's shoulder and slipped his sword out of the blonde's grasp and pointed it at Cloud.

"Beaten." He smirked. Cloud audibly groaned as he took his sword back and followed Zack to the group. Kairi looked at Zack nervously as he bent down to her level and thought for a bit before grinning. "I got it!" He cried. Yuffie groaned and hung her head in her hands as Zack finished, "Your nickname will be...Kai!" He looked back at the rest of their friends who were thinking the name over, even Yuffie.

"That's actually not bad." Squall remarked.

"I expected worse." Tifa admitted.

"I like it." Aerith smiled.

"That's really pretty good." Yuffie confessed.

"Kai it is then." Cloud nodded. Zack grinned and looked back at Kairi.

"What do you think...Kai?" He asked. Kairi thought it over and nodded as a smile came across her face.

"I...I like it." She smiled. Zack jumped up and pumped his fist in the air.

"Yeah! I finally win!" He cried. Kairi giggled at his childishness when Yuffie suddenly gasped.

"I know what we should do now!" She cried and grabbed Kairi's wrist, crying, "Come on, Kai!" She ran off, dragging the unknown princess behind her, forcing the rest of their group to follow.

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><p>Yuffie ran until she reached an ice cream stand. She grinned,<p>

"We're here!" Kairi gave her friend a confused look,

"What's here?" Yuffie grinned,

"The ice cream stand that sells the BEST ice cream in all the worlds!"

"That's a bit overly dramatic, Yuffie." The girls heard Squall say as the rest of their friends came up.

"But it's true!" Yuffie cried. Tifa laughed,

"Okay, now let's get our ice cream and head to Aerith's garden." They all agreed and bought 7 Sea Salt ice creams. Kairi had never had that ice cream before and was both eager and wary of trying it.

"Come on, Kai!" Yuffie urged, "The sooner we get to Aerith's garden, the sooner you get that first bite!" Kairi laughed at Yuffie's eagerness but didn't make a move to walk any faster. She was nervous and all of the girls saw it. "You okay, Kai?" Yuffie asked. Kairi shrugged.

"Kairi, are you feeling okay?" Tifa asked, nervously. Kairi nodded. Aerith put a hand on Kairi's shoulder and stopped all four girls, the boys walking ahead and not noticing. Aerith bent down to Kairi's level and softly asked,

"Kairi, are you nervous?" Kairi nodded.

"About the ice cream?" Yuffie asked. Kairi nodded again, her shyness coming out once again.

"Don't worry, Kai," Tifa reassured, "if you don't like it, you can tell us. If you do, you can tell us as well. We're your friends, Kairi, so you don't have to be nervous." Kairi met each of the girls' eyes and smiled slightly, whispering,

"Thank you." Aerith nodded along with Tifa and the two older girls made to walk ahead, Yuffie and Kairi falling into step behind them.

"Hey Kairi," Yuffie whispered, "if you want...I can be your best friend."

"Best friend?" Kairi whispered. Yuffie nodded,

"Yeah, you...you do know what a best friend is, right?" Kairi shook her head. "Well," Yuffie said, "a best friend is your closest friend. They understand you better than any of your other friends and you understand them just as good. Do you want...to be best friends?" Kairi thought about it before nodding. Yuffie grinned, "Great! Now come on, before they think we ran off!" Kairi laughed and ran to catch up with Yuffie and the rest of her friends.

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><p>Once they reached Aerith's gardens, Kairi settled in between Aerith and Yuffie.<p>

"Alright Kai," Zack smiled, "you take the first bite." Kairi took a deep breath, stared at the frozen dessert and bravely took a bite. She was surprised when a salty taste hit her tastebuds only to be followed by a sweet taste.

"Well?" Yuffie asked, leaning in closer to Kairi.

"It's salty...yet sweet." Kairi whispered. Yuffie grinned,

"I _knew _you'd like it!" Kairi giggled at Yuffie's behavior as she continued to eat her ice cream. As they spent the rest of the day in Aerith's garden, she slowly opened up more and was soon talking along with them. Yes, she was still a shy 3 year old but these people were opening her up to them. It would take some time for her to let go of her shyness completely, but these people were already slowly helping her let it go fully.

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><p>Later that day, Aerith sighed,<p>

"We gotta take Kai home." Sadly, Kairi, Yuffie, Squall and Aerith stood up and moved to leave. Before they got too far, however, Kairi hesitated before turning around and waving at the rest of her friends, calling,

"Goodbye!" The three waved back as Kairi turned back and the four returned to Kairi's house.

"Now what?" Yuffie asked. Kairi's eyes widened and she cried,

"Puzzle!" She ran into her closet, grabbed a puzzle and came back out. She sat down on the carpet, pulled Yuffie down with her and opened the puzzle.

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><p>The two girls worked on the puzzle and just finished when Kairi's grandmother came home. Kairi turned as the door opened and grinned as her grandma came in. She jumped up and ran to the old woman, crying,<p>

"Grandma!" Grandma scooped Kairi up into her arms and hugged her tightly.

"Were you good?" She asked. Kairi nodded furiously.

"They're my friends now, Grandma!" She smiled. Aerith, Squall and Yuffie walked over.

"Thank you so much for watching Kairi." Grandma smiled.

"It was no trouble at all, m'am." Aerith smiled. Squall nodded. Grandma set Kairi on the ground and paid the teenagers as Kairi hugged Yuffie goodbye tightly.

"I'll see you soon." Yuffie promised. Kairi nodded before hugging Aerith and Squall just as tightly.

"Goodbye!" Kairi called as the trio walked away. Yuffie waved right back as the door shut. Kairi watched her grandmother make dinner and told her all about her day. Grandma just smiled, glad her grandaughter was finally opening up to people. That night, Kairi dreamed of her new group of friends, excited for the next day. The only problem was, tomorrow, the 2nd set of sitters were watching her.


	3. Chapter 3:The Second Set

**Hey guys! I'm back! I hope you guys didn't miss me too much! And, just to clear this up, it is my theory that Zack came from Radiant Garden, left to go train to be a hero and will return to his homeworld. Also, this story takes place a year before Birth by Sleep, which I will be including when we get to it. Anywas, thanks to Ability King KK, sailorsenshi13 and TronDeathrune for reviewing/following/favoring along with all 81 readers. I'm glad you guys like this and now we're getting an insight to what is happening in All the Pieces (this story's sequel) right now, so whoever reads that story will now understand what's happening now better. Anyways, enjoy!**

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><p>Kairi woke up and eagerly got dressed, excited for her friends to come back. Friends...the word seemed odd to the three year old yet at the same time it brought a grin to her face. The redhead ran down the stairs and smiled at her grandmother.<p>

"Morning Grandma!" She smiled. The old woman smiled,

"Good morning, Kairi."

"When are Aerith and Squall getting here?"

"Kairi...they aren't coming today." Grandma explained, "They don't want to watch you without Yuffie, which they do every other day." Kairi's face fell.

"So who's watching me today?" Just then the doorbell rang. Grandma smiled,

"They're here now." She walked to the door and opened it. "Lea! Isa! Come in, come in!" Two teenagers and a boy a few years older than Kairi walked inside. One of the teens had hair as red as fire and bright green eyes. He wore a sleeveless orange jacket over a white sleeveless shirt, tan, baggy pants, red and white sneakers and black socks, with dark orange pockets on his jacket. He was smirking at Kairi. The second boy had sky blue hair and sea green eyes. He wore a short-sleeved, navy blue jacket with a light blue stripe going along his shoulders to the ends of his sleeves, white pants and black shoes. His jacket had a high, sky blue collar, the same color as the stripes on his sleeves and the bottom hem of his jacket. The jacket also had a crescent moon on it. He wore a blank expression. The youngest boy had light blue hair and matching eyes, at least Kairi assumed, his hair was so long on one side of his face it hid his eye. He wore a white lab coat over a black, V-neck top with a white collar, blue pants and navy blue shoes. The sleeves of his lab coat were rolled up, due to his size and he looked curiously at Kairi. "Lea, Isa, this is my grandaughter, Kairi." Grandma introduced, "Kairi, this is Lea, Isa and Ienzo, I believe?" The youngest boy nodded to confirm she got his name right. The red head grinned at Kairi.

"Hi Kairi, I'm Lea. Got it memorized?" He grinned, pointing to his temple as he said the last sentence. Kairi giggled lightly at his face. "The mopey one is Isa and the silent one is Ienzo." Lea introduced.

"I am not mopey." Isa protested, "I am observant." Lea waved his hand in the air, as if to say 'whatever'.

"Thank you boys so much for doing this for me." Grandma smiled.

"Anytime, ma'm." Lea smiled. Grandma bent down to Kairi's level and hugged her tightly.

"I'll be home soon." She whispered. Kairi nodded and let her go. She waved weakly as the old woman left for work. Sighing, Kairi walked over to the couch and knelt on it, just like she had done yesterday. She stared at as the sun struck her eyes. None of the boys bothered her for a half hour until Lea called,

"Breakfast." Breakfast consisted of Kairi's favorite ceral, Lea and Isa obviously not being very good cooks.

_Unlike Aerith... _Kairi thought wistfully as she finished and made her way back to the couch. As she knelt there, she overheard Lea say,

"We needed the money, Isa." Just then, Ienzo sat next to her. Kairi turned to him as he stared silently at the floor.

"You don't talk much...do you?" Kairi whispered so quietly that only Ienzo could hear. Ienzo looked at her in surprise before shaking his head. "Why not?" Ienzo shrugged,

"Not much to say." Kairi bit her lip when she had an idea. She reached out and grabbed Ienzo's wrist before jumping off the couch and sneaking outside. Once she closed the door quietly, the noble girl grabbed the apprentice and pulled him along as she ran until she reached a well hidden bush. Grinning, she knelt behind it, letting Ienzo go. "What are we doing?" Ienzo whispered.

"Hide and seek!" Kairi whispered back with a grin.

"They don't even know we left." Ienzo said, confused. Kairi's grin widened,

"That's what makes it so much more fun."

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><p>It took the teens a half hour to realize the quiet kids were gone. Kairi had been whispering quietly to Ienzo, getting to know him better when Lea suddenly jumped into the bush, shouting,<p>

"Gotcha!" The children darted out of the way and instead, Lea hit the wall behind them. Unable to hold it back, Kairi, Ienzo and Isa, surprisingly, laughed loud and long. Lea groaned, "Yeah, yeah, laugh at the hurt one." Slowly, Kairi made her way to him and in between laughs, asked,

"Are you okay?" Lea nodded,

"It takes more than a wall to hurt me, got it memorized?" Kairi nodded before asking,

"How'd you find us?" Lea smiled softly,

"I followed the light in your heart."

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><p><strong>Short chapter, I know but it's meant to balance out with the first chapter. Here, we are introduced to Lea, Isa and Ienzo and Kairi's opening up a little and becoming that girl we all know and love. Trust me when I say review and the next chapter will be up faster and when I say it'll be hilarious. Also, check out my other stories if I take too long for you. Also, to anyone reading All the Pieces, chapter 6 has been modified to fit Mulan II better since I've actually seen it now. Please review. Later.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4:Bickering, Hiding and Sunsets

**Hey guys! It's been a while. Sorry for not updating sooner but I've been a little busy. I've got a lot of new stories so please if you like this story check out Roar of the Lion, Sunshine, Hope: Behind the Scenes and either of my one-shots. If you don't like the category fine then at least check out All the Pieces, this story's sequel, or Light of Hope, my FF7 and KH crossover. Anyways, thanks to Key of Destiny4eva, sailersenshi13 and Yang Yami of the Shadows for reviewing/favoring along with all 178 readers! This chapter is going to be awesome and hilarious, trust me. **

**Lea: Hurry it up!**

**Me: Don't even say-**

**Lea: Got it memorized?**

**Me: Urgh! Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Can we play hide and seek again?" Kairi asked eagerly.<p>

"Alright." Lea agreed with a grin. Kairi jumped up and down in excitement as the two teens closed their eyes and the kids ran off.

"Where should we hide?" Kairi asked Ienzo. Ienzo smiled slightly before he led her towards the castle. He calmly walked up to the guards, Dilan and Aeleus Kairi thought, and whispered something to them before returning to Kairi and leading her into the foyer of the castle. "Why're we hiding here?" She asked, confused.

"I asked Dilan and Aeleus to do something." Ienzo smiled, "Trust me." Kairi nodded and the two kids hid.

* * *

><p>Another half hour later, Lea and Isa approached the castle.<p>

"You're not going in." Dilan said.

"Come on," Lea whined, "the kids we're watching are in there."

"Some babysitters you two are." Dilan smirked.

"We're playing hide and seek." Isa said, "Let us through to find them."

"No." The apprentices said in unison.

"Fine, fine." Lea said as he led Isa away. A little bit later, the two teens snuck in. "Gotcha!" Lea cried when the two found the kids. Suddenly, Dilan and Aeleus grabbed the teens' collars and lifted them off the ground. Lea began to struggle as Kairi giggled at the funny sight and Ienzo laughed. The guards then threw the teens into the air and they landed on the ground. "Not cool." Lea said.

"It was Ienzo's idea." Aeleus smirked. Lea gasped dramatically.

"You evil little runt!" He cried and the two kids ran in order to avoid the teen chasing them. Isa chuckled before following as well.

* * *

><p>"So what do you guys do all day?" Kairi asked curiously as the four sat on a fountain.<p>

"Well we have school." Isa said as Lea groaned.

"We also try to sneak into the castle." Lea smirked.

"They're not very good at it." Ienzo whispered to Kairi causing her to laugh.

"I heard that!" Lea cried indignantly.

"You were meant to!" Kairi retorted playfully. Isa then smacked the back of Lea's head.

"Hey!" Lea cried.

"I swear you're younger than the kids sometimes." Isa muttered.

"I take offense to that!"

"Good!"

"Well, you're way too mature! I swear it's like you're a grown up!"

"I am not too mature!"

"When was the last time you smiled?"

"Last week."

"Not true and I've got it memorized!"

"I _really _hate that catch phrase of yours."

"Well, it's meant to be catch phrase, duh!"

"You are so stupid sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" As the teens continued bickering back and forth, Kairi and Ienzo started laughing extremely hard.

"You're stupid and that question proves it."

"Offense taken!"

"Good!"

"You're a jerk, you got it memorized?"

"Enough with the catch phrase!"

* * *

><p>That night, the four sat on a hill.<p>

"Now what?" Lea asked.

"We sit." Isa answered bluntly.

"Not what I meant!" Lea cried.

"Hey...do you guys know why the sun sets red?" Kairi asked. When none of the boys answered, she continued, "Well, light's made up of a bunch of colors right?"

"Yeah..." Isa trailed.

"Well, then that means red's the one that travels the farthest." Kairi grinned.

"Like we asked, know-it-all!" Lea replied playfully, giving Kairi a slight push. Kairi laughed. "How about we get some ice cream?" Lea suggested.

"Let's get sea salt ice cream!" Kairi cried excitedly. The boys agreed and the girl led them to the stand. "Four sea salt ice creams please." She smiled. Once she received them, she ran back to her new friends and led them back up the hill. "Don't try them until we're on the hill!" She ordered as she ran. Once there, she cried, "Now!" All three licked their ice cream at the same time and their faces were joyful to Kairi. They were first surprised until they became happy.

"Wow." Ienzo gasped.

"That's good." Isa nodded.

"Awesome!" Lea cried, the most excited of the three. "It's salty, yet sweet too!" Kairi giggled. "This is our tradition now. Every sunset, we sit here with sea salt ice cream. Got it memorized?" The three nodded in agreement and watched the sunset.

* * *

><p>That night, the boys returned Kairi home.<p>

"Here we are, home sweet home." Lea smiled.

"Time for bed, Kairi." Isa said. Kairi shook her head.

"You're my friends. Call me Kai." She requested.

"You sure?" Ienzo asked. Kairi nodded.

"Ienzo, you're my second best friend." She said. Ienzo grinned and helped the noble girl upstairs. Lea and Isa put her to bed, wishing her good night and leaving to return Ienzo to the castle.

_Best friend..._Ienzo smiled at the thought. He had a real best friend now.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, what do you think?<strong>

**Lea: I think it's awesome.**

**Me: That's because you're in it! Anyways, please review so I can get rid of Lea here.**

**Lea: You can't get rid of me, got it memorized?**

**Me: Oh shut up! Also, yes the scene above is meant to reflect the scene from 358/2 days. I love the friendship between Axel, Roxas and Xion and wanted to play a small tribute since Kairi is technically Xion and Axel is Lea. Anyways, review. Later.**


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